Micah clutched his head in agony, releasing a pained scream. Seeing him like this was gut-wrenching for Nina, but even more so for Freya, who had been by his side every day.Nina stepped forward, gently placing a hand on his shoulder, her voice soft and soothing."Micah, this isn't your fault. Please don't push yourself like this—""It is my fault! If it weren't for me, she wouldn't have made that sacrifice. I've seen death so many times, but I've never felt like this before. Nina, you don't understand! I watched her die right in front of me..."Micah's voice was hoarse, cutting through Nina's words, each word carrying the weight of his torment. Nina had never seen him so broken, and it left her feeling helpless.Afraid he might lose control, she quickly called their father. Before long, Pharaoh arrived with a team from the lab. Seeing Micah in this state, Pharaoh felt an overwhelming sadness. This was his son, after all.But when Pharaoh examined Micah, he discovered that Micah
Micah gently stroked Freya's head, a smile of understanding forming on his lips. "I'm sorry for making you worry.""Micah, please, you have to get better. You can't leave me behind. We... we still have so many things we haven't done. Everything feels unfinished." Freya hugged him tightly, her voice hoarse and full of emotion. She was truly scared.If Freya had known that Micah was holding onto an idealized memory of someone who had been flawless in every way, it might not have hurt as much. But with Arin, things were different. Setting aside everything else, it was clear that some choices had been offered to Arin, but she hadn’t taken them.Freya didn’t want Micah to spend the rest of his life drowning in guilt.Micah continued to gently caress her head. "I understand everything you're saying. Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to pull myself out of this darkness."Freya had always said she didn’t care about these things, and Micah knew where the real issue lay. He wouldn’t hold it ag
"With your willpower, I believe you can get through this. I’ll be monitoring your progress closely," Wilfred said calmly, and he followed through on his promise.Breaking an addiction was painful, but Micah had plenty of support around him, especially with Freya by his side. After a week, Micah successfully overcame his dependence on the drugs. This was great news for everyone, especially Freya, who was overjoyed. "Micah, let’s visit the grassroots communities. There are still so many people who need our help."Freya’s thinking was straightforward. If she and Micah focused on their work together, it would keep his mind off Arin's death. Recently, Micah had felt guilty about neglecting her, thinking he owed her more attention since they had just gotten married. He had been trying to make up for the time he had neglected her by staying by her side.However, things unexpectedly took a turn for the worse, and instead of improving, Micah ended up in his current troubled state.Holdi
Several people tried reaching Nash, but neither he nor Quincy answered their phones. They were both on a flight, unaware of the chaos unfolding. William, however, had one clear goal in mind. He wanted money and power. The assets he hadn’t secured before, he was determined to claim now.William's actions had caused such an uproar within York Corporation that even Zoe was alerted. She confronted him directly, her voice filled with frustration. "I've already told you everything, and Nash made his stance clear at the wedding. How can you still act like this?""Nash hasn’t been unkind to you, has he?"It was Nash’s competence that had pulled York Corporation back from the brink of collapse, transforming it into the thriving company it was today. And yet, here William was, trying to tear it all down.But William wasn’t interested in listening. "Sure, Nash built York Corporation into what it is today, but the problem is, I can’t let myself end up penniless.""If you didn’t want to end
"Fine, it doesn’t matter if you don’t acknowledge me," William scoffed as he knocked Zoe unconscious and locked her in the attic. "Once I have money and power, anything I want will be just a word away."That evening, Nina and Nash's plane touched down. As they stepped out of the airport, they noticed something unusual. The largest billboard nearby, which used to feature York Corporation's popular beauty products, had been replaced with a food advertisement. The change hadn’t been authorized by Nash, and that wasn’t right.Both of them exchanged a glance, realizing something was wrong in Birkham.Just as Nina was about to speak, Nash’s phone rang. It was Manager Wood from the Planning Department. He was one of the most loyal and long-standing employees at York Corporation."Manager Wood, I was just about to call you. What’s going on with the billboard outside the airport? Why was it changed?""Mr. York, we need to talk. Come to my house immediately. Everyone is here waiting for y
"Don’t bother mocking me, Nash. You came here because you already know I’ve made changes to York Corporation, right? Let me be clear. I’m taking York Corporation, along with the rest of the family's assets," William said, lifting his chin like a defiant kid.Nash took a sip of his drink and asked in a low voice, "Where’s Aunt Zoe?"He wasn’t here to argue about the company. He wanted to know where Zoe was. On the way over, he had already sent people to check her house, and she was nowhere to be found, confirming his suspicions.William’s face froze for a moment before he let out a sinister chuckle. After a long, mocking laugh, he suddenly stopped and said, "If you want to see her, fine. Meet me at the office tomorrow and sign the transfer agreement. Give me back all the shares and rights.""And if I don’t?""Then don’t expect to see Zoe again. But you care about her, don’t you? Of course, you do. I warned her not to side with you. I’m her brother after all. But she didn’t listen,"
Two men entered the villa with ease, and half an hour later, they emerged, supporting Zoe. When Nina saw Zoe at the hospital, her eyes were filled with tears. She held Zoe's hand tightly, unable to let go.Zoe patted her hand and softly reassured her, "I'm fine, really.""It's our fault for not being careful."Zoe shook her head, "It's not your fault. It's just my bad luck, having a brother like him."Turning to Nash, she added, "William has made a mess of the company. You need to fix things quickly before others take advantage. And as for William, don’t hesitate and do whatever needs to be done."Nash nodded. He knew what had to be done, and after everything that had happened, he was clear on how to deal with the situation. While Zoe was in the hospital, the company underwent a thorough purge. The clean-up happened so quickly. Even though William paid off the woman to change her testimony and got out of the police station as fast as he could, it was already too late.All of
"Call Nash. Tell him to sign over the company and the rest of the family's assets to me, or I'll make sure you disappear without a trace."William gestured for her to look behind her.Nina didn’t turn around, replying coldly, "Nash would never agree to that. You're wasting your time.""If he refuses, I'll kill you. And then I’ll bring your son here. If Nash still doesn’t cooperate, well, I won’t mind adding another body to the count."William pulled out a knife, stepping closer to Nina. He grabbed her chin and slapped her face lightly with the flat of the blade. "You better convince him to do as I say, or else..."The cold metal of the knife against her skin made Nina narrow her eyes. William had lost all sense of humanity in his pursuit of wealth. If he remained alive, they would never find peace.A thought crossed Nina's mind, and she let out a soft laugh. "Fine, I’ll convince Nash. But you’ll have to give me my phone, right? How else am I supposed to call him?"Relying on his
Up ahead was a village. “Miss, it’s really late today, so I’ll take you home first. My parents and brother will take good care of you, and you can get a good night’s sleep at our place. Once you’ve rested, we’ll take you to town tomorrow.” The young girl tightened her grip on Vera’s hand. “My mom is a great cook! She’ll definitely make a big meal to welcome you.” It really was late. The sky was completely dark, and Vera’s phone battery was nearly dead. The girl was still so young. She had already gone out of her way to bring Vera back from the deep mountains. It wouldn’t be right to ask her to take her all the way to town tonight. Vera still had some cash in her pocket. After covering the cost of transportation, she decided she would leave the rest for the girl’s family. If it weren’t for the girl, who knew how long she would have been wandering in the mountains? “My house is just ahead. It’s not in great shape, so don’t mind it too much. Next year, whe
Vera’s nerves tensed up again. A sudden sound in the middle of nowhere was never a good sign. If it was a snake or some other large animal, she would be in serious trouble. Her ankle was swollen, and she couldn’t run fast. Would this be where it all ended for her? She had to leave quietly. But the ground was covered in thick layers of fallen leaves, with dry branches hidden underneath. Crack. As she stepped back, her foot snapped a twig, the sound piercing through the silence. Only one thought filled her mind—this was it. The rustling nearby grew louder. Vera squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself. Then, a voice suddenly spoke beside her. “Miss, why are you here alone? Didn’t your family come with you?” It was a person. Not an animal. Vera’s eyes flew open. A young girl stood in front of her. Fear dissolved in an instant, replaced by relief. She was saved.“I came here alone. Little one, do you know how to get out of here?” Ver
Hunter took a bite of the biscuits and ravioli she had made. The taste was surprisingly good. It wasn’t on the level of a Michelin-starred chef, but it had something even more special—the taste of home. And of course, there was the oatmeal. He took one spoonful after another, finishing the entire bowl. *Meanwhile, Vera still hadn’t found her brother. Disappointment weighed heavily on her as she prepared to leave. But just then, her phone buzzed. An anonymous message. She tapped it open and stared at the image attached. It was a watch. Alone, a watch meant nothing. But this watch was her brother’s. Vera immediately zoomed in on the photo, carefully inspecting the engravings inside. There they were—his initials. No mistake. This was his watch. Below the image, a location pin was attached. The place was nearby. Vera’s eyes filled with determination. If she had found nothing, she would have simply left. But now, she had recei
When Yelena woke up again, she was shocked to find that she wasn’t at the club. She sat up abruptly, looking around in confusion. Then, she got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and pushed the door open. “Where am I?” “At my place,” Hunter replied casually. He was working in the living room when he saw her wake up. “You slept for a long time. I couldn’t just leave you alone at the club, so I brought you back here.” Seeing the uncertainty on her face, he added, “It’s already late. Just stay here for the night. I’ll take you back tomorrow.” Yelena nodded. There was no other choice now. “There’s food in the fridge. If you’re hungry, heat something up. There are also snacks in the drawer—take whatever you want.” “Alright.” She really was hungry. She opened the drawer, grabbed a few small bread rolls, ate them quickly, and then went back to her room to rest. *The next morning, Yelena woke up early. Thinking about everything Hunter had done—treatin
Yelena quickly lowered her arm, letting her sleeve fall over the mark to cover it. “It’s nothing. Here’s your cocktail. Please enjoy.” “Yelena.” Hunter grabbed her wrist without warning. He pulled up her sleeve, revealing the deep, ugly scars on her arm. His brows knitted together instantly. “Who did this to you?” The force behind it was brutal—downright inhuman. Yelena remained silent. Who else could have done this besides Liam? But she had agreed to this. She had willingly accepted Hunter’s request and entered Liam’s world. She had no right to complain. Her silence gave Hunter all the confirmation he needed. “Liam did this to you, didn’t he?” Yelena nodded. “It’s nothing. The wounds have already started healing. They look worse than they feel. Give it some time, and they’ll fade.” “Wait here.” Hunter stood abruptly and walked away. Yelena had no idea what he was doing, but since he told her to wait, she didn’t argue. A few minu
Then again, it made sense. How could a normal person possibly empathize with a lunatic? If Yelena could understand Liam, that would make her just as twisted. *For the next few days, Yelena stayed home to recover. During that time, Liam came back a few times, bringing her flowers and food. Like a child showing off a treasure, he placed the food in front of her. “Yelena, these are your favorite honey crullers. I got them fresh from the bakery. Try them and see if you like them.” “I’m not really hungry.” She didn’t want to eat anything he gave her. She couldn’t even stand looking at him. But she had made a promise. So, she had to force herself to stay. Liam’s expression darkened. “Are you really not hungry, or do you just not want to eat what I give you?” For someone like him, once he had lost his temper once, the second time would only come faster and smoother. With a heavy thud, he slammed the honey crullers onto the table. “Yes, I hit y
If Liam had been a normal person, Hunter never would have sent her here in the first place. But of course, Yelena could only think that. She wasn’t suicidal enough to say it out loud. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. “I was really just messaging an old classmate. If you don’t believe me, go ahead—check my phone.” She wasn’t worried. Whenever she contacted Hunter, she deleted each message immediately. She had even forged an entire fake conversation just in case Liam ever got suspicious. So, no matter how thoroughly he checked, there would be nothing for him to find. Liam narrowed his eyes. “Is that so? Then why do I still feel like you’re lying? Women like you—nothing but liars, every last one of you.” Then, he struck her again. Yelena screamed. The pain was relentless, merciless. She had no idea how long it lasted—only that by the time he finally stopped, she was barely breathing. Her body slumped against the floor
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind Yelena. She spun around, her heart hammering in her chest. Liam was walking toward her, a faint smile on his lips—but the coldness in his eyes told a different story. Memories of his past cruelty flashed through her mind, sending a shudder down her spine. She forced herself to stay calm. “Who are you messaging?” He was getting closer. So close that when he finally stopped, they were nearly pressed against each other. Then, without warning, his fingers clamped around her chin, gripping tighter and tighter. Pain shot through her jaw, and Yelena winced. “No one. Just an old classmate. I ran into her a few days ago while I was out.” “Oh? Is that so?” Liam’s voice softened, almost gentle. To anyone watching, he might have seemed like a kind, easygoing man. But Yelena knew better. He would never let her off that easily. And sure enough— In the next second, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her hea
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.“Haven’t I been just fine lately?“Or do you think my hand isn’t injured enough? If that’s the case, go ahead—do it yourself. “You already know I wouldn’t fight back no matter what.” Without warning, Yelena stretched out her injured hand, an act that instantly enraged Liam. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He snapped. “I was just making a casual remark. Is that really what you think of me? I already told you—I’m not going to lay a hand on you.“It wasn’t intentional before, and you know it. We both do. Stop acting like you’re above all this when we both know who sent you here.” Yelena felt a pang of sadness. They had spent so much time together, yet this was how he treated her—always choosing to hurt her. “I know—I wasn’t someone you chose, and none of this was intentional. But after all this time we've spent together...“I thought maybe I was a little different to you. But I guess I was wrong. Nothing has changed at all.